Last week, I finally decided to make a much overdue trip to Trader Joe’s. I used to frequent there a lot more but now that Mariano’s has ClickList it’s hard for me to go anywhere else. What really motivated me was the release of their Pumpkin section—I had been dying to make pumpkin pancakes for weekend brunch for quite some time. 

Since I hadn’t been in a while and the best Trader Joe’s stuff is sometimes hidden, I decided to ask you guys on Instagram stories to send me your current favorites. OH MY GOSH. I have never received so many messages with amazing recommendations (thank you!) and requests for me to publish what everyone sent. 

So, here’s what I ended up snagging plus a few things I looked for but couldn’t find and how I used most of them! If you have any other favorites please comment and let me know and I will be sure to update the list!

 

Asian Stir Fry Veggies

I think this pre made mix is amazing. I usually just toss it in a wok with chopped chicken and the Soyaki Sauce and serve over Riced Cauliflower. So easy and so good! 

 

Soyaki Sauce

As mentioned above, I swear by this stuff. The flavor is amazing but not too strong, just add it to any meat or veggie! 

 

Riced Cauliflower

I don’t love this on it’s own but it’s a great addition to a dish. The crunch is perfect and will fill your rice craving, I just sauté it with Olive Oil and a dash of salt and pepper.

 

Fresh Basil Chicken Sausage

Okay, this was a reader recommendation and we fell in love. I just crumbled the sausage out of the casing sautéed it for a few minutes and then served it over veggie pasta with fresh parmesan! It was the easiest meal and the meat had so much flavor you didn’t need a sauce. 

 

Pumpkin Pancake Mix

I waited all season for this stuff. I have been spoiled by Blair’s homemade pumpkin pancakes so I was hoping these stacked up and they did. I always top them with powdered sugar and a bit of butter!

 

Everything Bagel Seasoning

This was another reader recommendation and everyone told me to try it on avocado toast but I’m wondering if you guys have any other suggestions. We don’t really eat a lot of bread around here but I did try it on my sliced avocado at breakfast and it was a nice kick.

 

Rx Bars

These are our favorite bars and I didn’t know till this recent visit that they are the cheapest at our Trader Joe’s since they are a Chicago based company. 

 

Salsa Verde

A classic I always keep on hand. We use it on breakfast tacos, burritos, fajitas you name it!

 

Cauliflower Crust Pizza

I had heard good things about these from friends and decided not to tell Trevor before we ate it. He gobbled it up and thought it tasted great so that should tell you something. I added fresh crushed red pepper and it was the perfect kick. 

 

Butternut Squash Zig Zag’s

These ended up tasting just like little potatoes. I sautéed them in a skillet with a tad of olive oil, salt, pepper and cayenne and they turned out great. A reader also suggested using avocado oil so I’ll give that a whirl next time!

 

Coconut Creamer

I had never had this till Jess made me one of her delicious lattes. I couldn’t believe the creamer was non dairy and had barely any calories. Ever since, I have lived by it and it works well in a milk frother. 

 

Cornbread Crisps

This was another reader favorite and I’m not sure if I love or hate her for telling me about them. If you are a fan of cornbread just get these while you can!

 

Frozen Fried Riced Cauliflower

I don’t know about you guys but I often watch to see what items people buy in stores. If they grab a ton of something or I see a particular item is almost sold out, I assume it’s good. That’s what happened with this! People were literally grabbing bags upon bags of it so I picked up one myself and we loved it! I added grilled chicken for some extra protein and some hot sauce on top. 

 

Red Pepper Spread with Eggplant and Garlic

This was another reader favorite that I am now obsessed with. I am fairly certain you can put it on everything and anything—pasta, toast, veggies!

 

Red Lentil Sedanini Pasta

Another reader favorite that she actually told me to use with the sausage mentioned above! It tastes great but definitely has a different texture than traditional pasta. Also, you definitely need to eat it fresh. It only cooks for about 4 minutes and I found any leftovers we had were super hard so we ended up tossing them. 

 

Reduced Guilt Kale & Spinach Greek Yogurt Dip

Love dip but hate the calories? Yea, me too. This was another reader recommendation and we have been eating it daily as a snack. 

 

Fresh Veggies & Produce

Not anything in particular but I always find their veggies and produce to be well picked and conveniently packaged. Their bags of sweet potatoes always have the perfect size for roasting in the oven and the brussels sprouts and other seasonal veggies always taste great. 

 

 

 

 

Let me know if I missed any of your favorites and thank you again for sending in so many awesome suggestions, my kitchen (and Trevor) thank you for it!